


Magic of Christmas

by blackrose_17



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Bones is Santa, Christmas Magic, Elves, F/F, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-25
Updated: 2012-12-25
Packaged: 2017-11-22 08:11:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/607695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose_17/pseuds/blackrose_17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim wants to know why the Christmas season always sends Bones into a deep, endless void of the grumpies. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that once upon a time a long  time ago, Doctor Leonard McCoy, Chief Medical Officer of the United Federation Starship Enterprise, was known to children everywhere as Santa Claus. Starting thirty seconds after he hung up his beloved red suit, Bones began missing the job for such a long time; after all, the suit had been passed down through his family for many, many generations.</p>
<p>Time has passed and the world has changed, and now Bones isn't the only one missing the jolly fat man who used to come down their chimneys and make their holiday wishes come true. All around the world, children are losing their belief in the special magic of Christmas because they miss their beloved Santa Claus. As a gift two Elves decides to grant everyone's Christmas wish by getting Bones his old job back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magic of Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek but I do own Sprinkles the Elf and Jingles the Elf.  
> Beta: RoyalLadyEmma  
> Written for Space_Wrapped at Livejournal my Prompt: McCoy used to be literally Santa. He was on the shuttle in the first place because when Jocelyn got the whole damn planet that included getting him fired from the Santa gig. But he misses it.

Not too long ago, Christmas was a time of childlike faith and the belief that there was good in every man, but something began to change as that faith in mankind slowly faded away. There was a time when every child and even a quite a few adults believed in the magic and wonder of Santa Claus but over the last few years that faith had faded away to nothing. Oh, Santa was still around but he just wasn’t the same; he felt wrong to all those who truly believed in him. In fact, it was almost like he wasn’t actually the _real_ Santa.

 

They had no idea how right they were.

 

*****

_North Pole, Santa's work shop_

"We need to do something; every year since _that_ woman took over the magic of Christmas has been fading away. Soon there won't be anything left," a low female voice hissed in the darkness.

 

"But what can we do?" her male companion whined while twisting his hands together nervously.

 

The sound of jingling bells filled the air as the unseen female placed her hands on her hips. "We will find _our_ Santa and beg him to come back. Once he sees how much the children are missing him, he is sure to return!" she declared with a firm nod.

 

Her companion didn't look so convinced. "You want us to go out in to space? Are you insane, Sprinkles? I hate space! Plus the Enterprise could be anywhere, we'll never find him in time. Oh, Christmas is doomed, doomed, I tell you!"

 

Rolling her eyes at the unnecessary dramatics, Sprinkles delivered a hard slap to her friend's cheek. Hurt eyes stared up at her and a bottom lip began quivering. "You were getting hysterical," she explained with a casual shrug of her shoulders.

 

Thinking for a moment, Jingles had to admit that she did have a point. Sucking his lip back into place, he frowned as he suddenly thought of something. "Do you at least have a way to track him?"

 

The smile that appeared on her face filled him with pure trepidation. "Don't worry! I have everything under control. I've contacted one of our helpers whose been keeping an eye on our boy and I know exactly where the Enterprise is. Pack your bags, Jingles, next stop the Enterprise."

 

*****

_U.S.S. Enterprise_

 

Everybody knew that Doctor Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy was a cranky bastard on the best of days, but every year when the holidays rolled around he became withdrawn and sullen. Normally Jim let his doctor sulk in his quarters or haunt the medical facilities, but this year his friend was suffering more than ever before and the Captain was at a loss as to what to do. He hated to see his best friend acting so lost and feeling so miserably, but more than anything else, Jim decided that it was time he found out just why his best friend was acting this way.

 

_'This year I am going to find out what is bothering Bones! This has got to stop.'_ An unholy gleam entered Kirk's eyes as he gazed on the members of his senior crew, all waiting for him in Captain's quarters. _'And I know just the people to help me!'_

"Captain, you were actually _cackling_ ," Uhura calmly informed him; she had one eyebrow elegantly raised as she wondered what insane plan their captain had come up with this time.

 

Kirk paid no attention to the worried looks his sinister cackling was getting as he crossed his arms behind his back and gazed at the people he trusted most. "As many of you know, Bones is normally a lovable and cranky bastard but every year around the holidays he's different; he's sullen and he's seems so sad even though he tries to hide it. I want us to find out what causes such a drastic change in Bones," Kirk declared.

 

Hikaru had a thoughtful look on his face as he offered a suggestion. "Did you ever think it might be that it's because he doesn't get to spend Christmas with his daughter Joanna? That could explain everything."

 

Kirk shook his head. "No, I've seen him depressed before over not getting to see Joanna but this is something different. This is more like something is missing from his life, something really important. It's like the very _idea_ of Christmas sends him spiralling into a depression."

 

"It's not just him, Captain; haven't you all noticed that the Christmas spirit's not been the same for a couple of years. It's like all the magic has been lost." Scotty voiced his own opinion; he remembered when he was younger how he, his brothers and his sister couldn't _wait_ for Christmas to come. By the first of December he had his letter for Santa written and ready to mail, and he couldn't wait until he got to see one of Santa's helpers to tell him what he wanted for Christmas. Despite the years that had passed since then, that feeling never faded.

 

Even as he grew into an adult, he still looked forward to the holiday season; he loved seeing people's homes draped with twinkling lights and catching sight of a beautifully decorated tree through their front windows always brought a smile to his face. That joy remained intact until a couple of years ago when everything changed; the Christmas spirit just didn't feel right. There were fewer and fewer decorations being put up, no one went carolling anymore, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd received a Christmas card.

 

Something was missing and he didn't have a clue as to what that could be.

 

Everyone, with the exception of Spock, had to admit that Scotty raised a valid point; truth be told, they'd noticed a change in their own Christmas Spirit over the past few years. It was like they didn't care, actually, they just couldn't find the same joy they once had.

 

Chekov nodded his head. "It's like we've all been losing our Christmas spirit, like it's just fading away."

 

Kirk's eyebrows furrowed together as he recalled how much he used to love putting up Christmas decorations, writing his letter to Santa, visiting the mall Santa, staying up as long as he could to see if he could catch Santa arriving or at least hearing reindeer landing on his roof. _'I never did get my true Christmas wish to ride in Santa's sleigh and be his little helper for a night.'_ To that very day it was still Jim's secret wish to be a genuine Santa's elf just for a day. _'Which is foolish since there is no such thing as Santa and besides, this is about cheering up Bones, not recalling childish dreams.'_

Unaware of the thoughts running through their Captain's head, Scotty voiced a thought that would spell instant trouble, "What if we host a big Christmas Party with our own secret Santa? That might be just enough to bring back the old holiday cheer."

 

The sane members of the crew shared a knowing look; they all knew that this had the makings of a very bad idea but the crazy grin that spread across Kirk's face made them all groan with misgiving.

 

"Brilliant idea!" Kirk clapped Scotty on the shoulder. "That'll cheer Bones right up!" Kirk had no doubt that his plan would be a roaring success. The rest of the crew just wished they could share his feelings.

 

*****

Doctor Leonard McCoy didn't hate Christmas; no, at one time it had been his most joyful of times. You see there was another part of his life that he had never told anyone about, that not even one James T. Kirk, the one man he trusted above all. He'd never shared his past because it just sounded too crazy to be true.

 

Once upon a time, he was Santa Claus.

 

His ancestor was the first Santa Claus ever, and the mantle had been passed down from father to son as it had through the generations. As a rule, they could only tell a select few about their secret and of course the one special person chosen to become their spouse was always the first one to know. At first Jocelyn had understood and accepted how much time the role of Santa would take in his life. The glorious day he had become a new father she said she was fine with losing another piece of his time or at least Leonard had believed her.

 

He discovered too late how wrong he'd been to do _that_.

 

Snorting at the memory, Bones took a long sip of his brandy, savouring the burn as it slid down his throat. _‘I wonder how long she held onto the bitterness that my work as Santa would always come first and that after Joanna was born she became the other shining light in my life.’_ To this day Bones continued to wonder what he could have done to hurt Jocelyn so badly that she reacted with such hatred that she had torn away his two greatest loves, In a vindictive move, she had taken his daughter from him, denying him any contact with his child and cruelly robbed him of the joy of being Santa. Now, years later, all he had left to look forward to was the moment when the holiday season was over, because it meant that his pain would go away for another year.

 

*****

 

It hadn’t been easy but at last the brave little elves had managed to track down the only man who could fix the world's mess, their real Santa. Christmas magic was fading faster than they had thought possible, and if their desperate plan failed, it was going to be a one-way trip to the Enterprise.

 

Jingles shifted nervously from foot to foot as he looked anxiously at Sprinkles. "Are you sure this is a good idea? If this doesn't work we will have used the last of our magic and we'll be stuck!"

 

Sprinkles felt a headache beginning to form and reached up to rub her forehead. "We'll be fine as long as we find Leonard. You're a Christmas elf, for Heaven's sake! Have a little faith!" Sprinkles wanted to bash Jingles over the head with a candy cane. _'Honestly how are we to return Christmas joy to everyone if one of Santa's very own elves is having his very own meltdown!'_

Jingles gulped and took two steps back as he saw the fury growing in Sprinkles blue eyes; she was not an elf to be messed with. Swallowing nervously Jingles gathered up his courage. _'Come on, I can do this! Christmas is counting on me!'_ "All right let's do this before I change my mind and come to my senses."

 

Grinning triumphantly, Sprinkles happily whacked Jingles on the arm. "I knew I could count on you. Enterprise, here we come!" Grasping Jingles' hand tightly they both shivered at the feeling of magic coursing through their veins. It was weak, weaker than they thought it would be, but it had to be enough, it just had to.

 

*****

All it took was a single glance at Jim for Bones to knew he was up to something. The blond was seated in his Captain's chair with a mischievous glint in his blue eyes. Bones leaned back against the railing, crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his best friend. "All right, just what are you plotting?" Bones demanded gruffly raising an eyebrow.

 

Jim quickly slapped a hurt look on his face. "Bones! How could you possibly think I'm up to something? I'm hurt."

 

Bones was about to say something scathingly sarcastic when a loud pop echoed through the bridge and all eyes were drawn to the sound. Jim blinked once, shook his head and then blinked again before glancing around at the rest of the crew. He felt a little better seeing the open-jawed stares and wide eyed expressions of his crew members, and the sight of Spock’s raised eyebrow let him know his Chief Science Officer was seeing the same thing he was.

 

"Mr Spock?"

 

"Yes, Captain?"

 

“Are there elves on my bridge?”

 

"Yes, Captain, there are," Spock nodded solemnly, never taking his eyes from their unusual visitors.

 

Indeed there were what appeared to be two elves standing on the bridge of the Enterprise. Neither of them could be described as your typical elf; the male was tall, dark and handsome; he was dressed quite smartly in-head-to-toe green, including green shoes with bells on them. Kirk had to admit the colour really set off his dark expressive eyes. The female was a blonde beauty dressed in a red mini-dress that was edged around the hem and the low-cut neckline with white fur and she wore a pair of red high-heeled boots that ended just below her knees. The only obvious indications that they were actually elves were their pointed ears, _'not unlike Spock's!'_ Jim thought gleefully, and the fact that their hair sparkled like stars in the midnight sky.

 

Before Kirk could wonder why they hadn't set off the intruder alarms, summon security to the bridge or even ask what the hell they were doing on his ship, they both let out high-pitched screams of joy as they rushed forward and flung their arms around Leonard McCoy. Jealousy burned deep within Jim as the two threw themselves on _his_ Bones, hugging him tightly and dancing around him in a circle.

 

“Sprinkles and Jingles, what the hell are you doing here?” Bones finally broke free of their hold and began rubbing his forehead, he could feel a headache forming.

 

_'Sprinkles and Jingles? What kind of names are those?'_ Kirk grumbled to himself as he glared daggers at the interlopers. "You know these two, Bones?" Damn it, he wanted answers and he wanted them now!

 

Sprinkles paid the fuming Captain no attention as she grasped Bones hand. "You have to come back, Sir; the magic of Christmas is dying! The children refuse to accept Clay as their Santa; they know he is not the real Santa! We need you." Sprinkles looked up at Bones with pleading eyes. "Please, sir!"

 

Not used to being ignored by _anybody,_ much less a pair of invaders with stupid names, Jim had had enough; shooting to his feet, he pointed a finger at the two elves and declared passionately, "Bones is going nowhere! He belongs here with me!" 

 

Everyone on the bridge stared at Kirk, amazed their captain's admission, the elves shared a knowing look and Bones tried not to let his heart leap out of his chest at Jim's declaration. _'Don't be a fool! You're reading far too much into that; Jim sees you as a friend and nothing more.'_ Bones had been in love with his best friend for longer than he cared to think about, but he knew Jim didn't feel the same way. While Jocelyn had broken his heart, the doctor know that to have Jim reject him would certainly shatter him beyond repair.

 

Suddenly aware that his crew's knowing gaze was fixed on him, Kirk shifted a little uncomfortably as he realised what he had just blurted out. "What I mean is that Bones belongs here with _all_ of us on the Enterprise; we would _all_ be lost without our Chief Medical Officer." Jim didn't dare voice that _he_ would be the one who would be lost without Bones in his life.

 

In a show of womanly support Uhura and Sprinkles' eyes met as both women shared an eye roll and a smile as they thought the same thing, _'Men!'_

The way Jim emphasised the word 'all' was like a slap in the face for Bones and he felt his heart come crashing down. _'I knew that it was impossible for Jim to ever feel the same for me as I do for him.'_ Knowing that hurt ever more than finding Jocelyn in their marital bed with Clay but despite the pain, Bones knew that his heart would forever belong to Jim even if the blond man never knew he was the proud owner of it.

 

_'I need to focus on the matter that's the most important right now.'_ Forcing his gaze off of Jim and back on to his two former elves, the medic smiled at them with great affection. "I'd like to help you, really I would; you have no idea how much I wish I could help but I'm not Santa anymore." Bones reminded them softly. "I just don't have the Christmas magic within me anymore." His voice was heavy with sorrow and even a hint of guilt.

 

There was a unified gasp of surprise around the bridge, but it was Sulu who put the crew's question into words. "Hold it, are you saying that not only is Santa _real_ but Bones, _our_ grumpy, sarcastic Bones is actually the jolly fat man?" Hikaru asked in a disbelieving tone.

 

As the most hotheaded of all the North Pole elves, Sprinkles was not about to let any human belittle her boss, and with fire in her eyes, she marched over to Hikaru and stared him down. "And just why is that so hard to believe? You've never seen him as Santa, the children love him just as much as he loves them. It's his one true calling and it was wrong of Jocelyn to steal that duty away from Leonard. You've all felt it, the whole world has been feeling it these past few years. Christmas just hasn't been the same since Leonard's magic was taken from him." Sprinkles looked around the bridge with imploring eyes. "Without the one true line of the magic of  that only Leonard can provide, Christmas will soon be gone, forever."

 

Jim didn't say anything, he couldn't even _think_ of anything to say. All he could do was stare at Bones with hurt burning in his eyes. "How could you have kept something like this from me?" His voice was very small for a man who usually dominated the room by merely being in it. He couldn't understand why his best friend hadn't said anything, they'd always shared everything and it sounded like this was the most important thing ever in Bones life.

 

It was Jingles who answered. "It's not Leonard's fault, Captain; he isn't allowed to tell anyone who he is..." Jingles' voice cracked and he cleared his throat before continuing. "... who he _was._ It's in the rules but right now that doesn't matter anymore; we need our Santa back if we're planning on saving Christmas."

 

Scotty lifted his hand, "If you don't mind me asking, just how do you plan on doing that?" 

 

Sprinkles and Jingles shared a knowing look before Jingles began to speak again. "There's actually a reason why Leonard wound up here with you. It might surprise you to know that some of the strongest believers in the world are right here on this ship and that's what we need. Our magic" he pointed back and forth between himself and Sprinkles, "is fuelled by pure belief  and we need your help."

 

Bones was focused solely on Jim as he crossed the distance between them. "Jim, you have no idea how much I've wished I could have told you who I really was but I cou..., no, I wouldn't." Bones reached out and grasped Jim's hands when he saw the blond flinched in pain at his words. "Damn it, Jim, listen to me! It wasn't that I didn't trust you because I do; no one, not even Jocelyn, ever stirred such trust in me.

 

"I didn't tell you in the beginning because it was still too fresh a wound. Jocelyn had just taken _everything_ from me, a job I love, my daughter and my home, and then I met this cocky young kid who would forever change my life. This time of year _is_ magical and I just can't let it fade into nothing, so will you help me, please? I promise once this is done I will tell you everything, just please, Jim, please, help me save Christmas," Bones pleaded. He didn't realise he was squeezing Jim's hands as tightly as he was until he saw his friend wince in pain.

 

Jim hated hearing Bones pleading for his help; it tore something deep inside of him. "Bones, you never have to ask me for help, of course we'll help, all of us will. Won't we?" Jim forced his gaze off of Bones and on to the others.

 

"Of course we will!" Chekov exclaimed. As a child in Russian, Deb Moroz  was very important to him and the time he'd spent with his beloved grandmother choosing and decorating a tree, cooking sharlotka for holidays gifts and guests were some of the happiest of his childhood. The very idea of no more Christmas in the world absolutely horrified him. He turned pleading eyes onto his boyfriend, "Right, Hikaru?"

 

Sulu knew he was lost when Chekov gave him the full-on sad puppy-dog eyes, the ones he could never say no to. "Of course we will; no child should ever be without the magic of Christmas in their lives."

 

Scotty was practically bouncing in his spot. "Does this mean I get to be an honorary elf?" Excitement really brought out his Scottish brogue.

 

Sprinkles grinned at Scotty, the child-like glee pouring off him made her magic tingle. "Yes, it does."

 

Scotty let out a loud whoop of joy, dashed forward and crushed Sprinkles in a huge hug. "Oh, thank you, it's a dream come true!" Evan as a child, Scotty had always wanted to be one of Santa's helpers.

 

Jingles cleared his throat quite loudly as he reached out and snagged Sprinkles away from Scotty. "Hands off the elf there, big boy," he growled low in his throat. It was rare for him to get so possessive much less show it publicly, but he didn't like anyone touching his girlfriend.

 

Bones shook his head in fond amusement. "I should have warned you, Jingles and Sprinkles tend to be very possessive over one another."

 

Jim couldn't help but pout as he watched the elves interact with one another. _'I wish Bones was as possessive over me as they are.'_

Standing next to Spock, Uhura spoke for both of them. "We're in." She knew Spock would want to help; he often spoke of how much his mother loved Christmas. Despite the fact that they lived on Vulcan, she'd had always done her best to share her human traditions with her only son and make it a special time for him. As an adult, Spock no longer physically celebrated the holidays, but his mother's spirit was never more alive for him than during the Christmas season.

 

"I told you they were the right people for the job."

 

All eyes turned to the new arrival and all jaws minus those of Bones and the elves dropped open in shock. "Christine? What are you doing here? And what the hell are those?" Jim asked as his eyes narrowed on the piles of red and green fluff in her arms.

 

Christine just smiled and pushed back her hair to show off her own set of elf ears. "I was sent to keep an eye on Leonard, to make sure he was handling his new life all right. As for this?" she nodded at her bundle, "you can't go to the North Pole without the right gear." She wore a wickedly naughty grin as her eyes zeroed in on Bones and she lifted a large, specially-wrapped bundle from the pile and pulled back the paper to reveal its contents.

 

Bones' heart clenched with joyful surprise as he reached out trembling hands. "Is that what I think it is?" he whispered, not daring to actually touch the package in case it was nothing but a dream.

 

After setting the red and green outfits on a nearby chair and fully opening the paper-wrapped package, Christine smiled gently at Leonard as she reverently placed the distinctive red and white coat in his arms. "You can't be Santa without the coat."

 

Jim could see the intense emotions in Bones' eyes and he stepped forward until he was next to him and placed a gentle hand on his. It took a moment before Bones could look up and meet his eyes. Realising the formidable and chaotic battle going on within the heart his best friend and fellow officer – return to a life and a job that he clearly loved or stand by his duty to his profession, his ship, his captain – Jim took pity on him. "Here let me help you with that."

 

Unable to find the right words to say, Bones could only nod silently as he allowed Jim to take the coat from him and he turned around so that Jim could gently and carefully help him put it on. When the heavy weight settled once again on his shoulders he closed his eyes and gripped the railing with a white-knuckled hand as memories swept through him. He was almost overwhelmed by the sheer power of the images running through his mind and playing against his eyelids, images he hadn't let himself think about for years.

 

He remembered the night that very coat was given to him, signifying the passing of the baton from father to son. He remembered the very first time he'd taken the reins to the sleigh into his hands and with a flick of his wrist he'd sent his reindeer into the star-studded night sky. He remembered the immense satisfaction he got from hearing the cries of joy and gratitude that echoed around the world as children opened their presents on Christmas morning. He remembered the day he'd taken off the coat for the last time, surrendering it to a delegation of weeping and heartbroken elves, thereby putting an end to the happiest times of his life.

 

Fighting back a sudden rush of tears, Bones took a moment to compose himself before he turned back to his friends and co-workers. He couldn't believe how right it felt to wear his favourite garment again. He felt warmth of the heavy fabric seep into his soul, warming places that had been closed off for far too long.

 

Jim swallowed hard as he admired Bones in the ankle-length red velvet coat trimmed with white fur. He noticed that there was something different about the doctor now, a renewed sense of pride and purpose that he hadn't seen before, and there was a distinct twinkle in his eyes and a smile on his lips that had been missing for a long time. The captain realised that Bones had never looked happier or more attractive to him and that brought a huge grin to his face.

 

While everyone else was looking at McCoy and his transformation, only Uhura noticed the mischievous looks being traded between Sprinkles and Christine; _'they're up to something,'_   and a moment later it became clear exactly what that something was when Christine handed Jim a coat very similar to Bones'.

 

"Wha.... me?" Jim looked between Christine and the elves in complete bewilderment. "What's going on here? What does this mean?"

 

"Apparently, Captain, you are Mrs Claus." If it were possible for a stoic, non-emotional Vulcan to be smugly amused, then Spock was that Vulcan.

 

Once everyone was geared up and Sprinkles was satisfied with their appearance, she clapped her hands together. "Now, this is going to take a lot of magic, so we need you all to believe as much as you possibly can and I mean believe harder than you ever have before." She smiled fondly at Chekov and Scotty, "I know you two won't have a problem with that. You two are positively over-flowing with the purest form of faith, that found in a child's heart and man I say it's simply refreshing. Adults these days are so jaded but not the two of you and I am very proud of you for retaining your belief."

 

Feeling slightly miffed Bones was beaming at Chekov and Sulu and not at him, Jim resisted the urge to cross his arms across his chest and pout, but just barely. _'I'm supposed to be the one he smiles at,'_ the blond thought sullenly. _'I'm the Mrs!'_

 

As a unified front, the bridge crew of the Enterprise closed their eyes and recalled their best childhood memories of joy and family togetherness, times when Christmas had been the most wonderful time of their lives. With his heart hammering almost painfully in his chest, Jim did something he never thought he'd ever have the nerve to do. He tentatively brushed his hand against Bones' before taking a deep breath and grasping his Santa' hand in his own, praying all the while that he hadn't just made the biggest mistake of his life. As he felt Bones give his hand a gentle squeeze back, Jim finally relaxed and began breathe easier.

 

The Enterprise faded away in a world of swirling magic and mystery, not that Bones or Jim noticed the change, their eyes were positively glued to one another. They only broke their gaze when a loud gasp of wonder echoed around them and a joyful little voice cried out, "Daddy!"

 

With great reluctance Bones released Jim's hand so that he could kneel down to catch the small form of his daughter rushing towards him as fast as her little legs would carry her. "Jo-Jo!" Bones whispered reverently as he wrapped his arms around his daughter's tiny form and he held her close. It had been too damned long since he'd held his precious daughter like this.

 

Jim smiled as he watched the tender scene between father and child before forcing his eyes off them and taking in the spectacular vision of just where he was. An ear-to-ear grin split Jim's face; _'I'm in Santa's workshop!'_ With eyes the size of saucers, he gazed around him in awe; it was a child's wonderland come true. Word had obviously gotten out because there were toys of every imaginable kind, elves in their best and brightest outfits, and even majestic reindeer all gathered round eagerly awaiting their chance to greet their beloved Santa, who'd come home at last.

 

"Well, you certainly took your time," a familiar voice greeted them from amidst the crowd.

 

"Admiral Pike? What are _you_ doing here?" Scotty blurted out in surprise although one look at Pike's face had him swallowing hard, "Um... sir?" he hastily added.

 

"I'm on of Santa's ambassadors." A proud smile crossed Pike's face. "It's been my job to keep an eye on Leonard since he joined Starfleet and I'm the one who told Sprinkles and Jingles where to find you all," the admiral explained. He focused his attention on Leonard and his smile changed to one of paternal approval. "You're finally properly dressed."

 

Pike's words were lost on Bones as he unexpectedly came face-to-face with the two people who had hurt him the greatest. "Clay, Jocelyn," Bones' voice was gruffly non-committal and one eyebrow arched as he waited for them to comment on his homecoming.

 

Barely able to meet Bones' blank gaze, Clay looked at the man who had at one time been his best friend and he finally saw how rightly and well Leonard fit in to the world of Christmas. "I'm not Santa, Leonard; I never could be him and I see now that I never should have tried to take his place. I hereby return the job to you, its rightful owner, and I can only hope it's not too late to undo the damage I've done as a wanna-be Santa." As he finished speaking, Clay held out his hand and the Enterprise crew was amazed to see that his fingertips were tingling and sparkling with the magic of Christmas. Bones slowly closed his eyes as that precious magic sang its way back into his heart.

 

Bones knew that his days of friendship with Clay were indeed over and that they would never be close again, but he also knew that it was a good start at mending the hurt between them. "Thank you, Clay; you have no idea how much this means to me," Bones told him gruffly as he accepted the man's offered hand.

 

All eyes were filled with wonder as magic swirled around Clay and Bones; it started at their joined hands and travelled up Bones' arm to wrap around his whole body, enveloping him in a shimmering cloud. Feeling the magic in the air was a new experience for the crew of the Enterprise and they looked at one another in amazement as their own skin began to tingle slightly.

 

A joyous cheer erupted from the elves and they began to dance around as the magic swirled and eddied around the workshop. Everywhere it touched the cloud brought life and colour back to their world. "All right, elves, it's time to get to work, Christmas Eve is only a few hours away!" Sprinkles began barking out orders that everyone immediately jumped to comply with.

 

In the rush to get everything ready for Christmas, no one noticed Jocelyn slip away, no one that is but Jim and he wasted no time in following her; he had a few things on his mind to ask her.

 

*****

 

Unable to stand the accusing and hurt look in her former husband's eyes any longer, Jocelyn quickly retreated from the workshop. She desperately needed to put as much distance between her and Bones as she possibly could; seeing him so happy and joyfully welcomed back to the fold was just too difficult for her at the moment. She needed time alone to sort out her feelings and come to terms with such a drastic turn of events.

 

Unfortunately, someone else had other plans. As she finally found a quiet corner all to herself, a strong hand wrapped around her arm and pulled her to an abrupt halt. With a sharply worded retort on her lips, Jocelyn whirled around and found herself standing face-to-face with James T. Kirk and to her dismay, he did not look happy.

 

Jim glared at Bones' ex-wife. "How could you have hurt Bones like that? Can't you see how much he loved this job?" Righteous indignation flashed in his eyes. "Do you really hate him that much?"

 

Jocelyn ripped her arm free of Jim's grasp. "That's just it; he always loved that job more than he ever loved me!" she snarled. "I never saw Leonard's eyes sparkle for me the way they did when he was in that damned workshop or working on some stupid new toy!"

 

Jim said nothing, although his eyes did narrow as he listened to Jocelyn's vitriolic words. _'I guess I never realised how jealous she was of Bones' work.'_

 

"I've only ever saw that look directed at Joanna and now I see it when he looks at you. Hell, yes, I want to hurt him for not loving me enough. I see now that Leonard was _never_ mine and he's never going to be mine; he belongs to the world as Santa, to Joanna as a father and now to you as a lover and more." With her piece said, Jocelyn turned on her heel and haughtily stalked away.

 

This time Jim let her go; he was too lost in his thoughts. _'Bones loves me?'_ A delicious warmth filled his heart and as he returned to the workshop, there was a lightness in his step that he'd never  felt before. _'Bones loves me!'_

*****

 

Bones noticed that when he came back Jim seemed unusually subdued compared to everyone else, but he wasn't able to say anything to him. Despite his desire to check on his friend, Bones was too busy listening to Sprinkles questioning him – well, actually it was more like interrogation him – about how much he remembered about driving the sleigh. Even as he correctly answered his bossy elf, he didn't miss the looks Jim had been throwing him and he nearly swallowed his tongue several times when he saw the undisguised looks  
of love shining in those blue eyes he loved so much.

 

A sudden thought struck him; "Sprinkles, leave room up front for a passenger, I have a Christmas wish to grant!" Bones declared and there was a distinctly mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he stalked towards the blond who filled his dreams every night and his thoughts every day.

 

Jim had to remember how to breathe as he watched Bones walk purposefully towards him, and he found it quite exciting that his doctor's every move was filled with determination and a hint of seduction. "Bones?" he asked softly as Bones came to stand before him.

 

Bones took a deep breath as he looked deep into Jim's blue eyes; it was time to take a chance. "My father told me that your Christmas wish was one he wished he could have granted and when it came time for me to take over, so did I." He reached out and took Jim's hand in his. "From the moment we met I have dreamed of what it would be like to have you sit next to me and fly the sleigh, so what do you say, Jim, do you want to help me fly my sleigh tonight and every Christmas from this night forward?"

 

For the first time in his life Captain James T. Kirk couldn't find a single word to say and so instead he did something he'd wanting to do since the moment they'd met onboard the shuttle craft to Starfleet Academy. Grasping Bones by the lapels of red velvet his coat Jim pulled the man he loved more than life itself into a deep kiss. Mindless of the fact that they had a rapt audience, he poured every ounce of love into their kiss and he moaned as he felt Bones return the favour. They lost track of how long they stood kissing but eventually the kiss came to an end on its own and they stared at each other for a moment.

 

Becoming aware that they were the centre of attention, Bones cleared his throat and gruffly asked, "So... was that a yes?"

 

Jim favoured Bones with a breath-taking smile. "Santa belongs to the world, Leonard belongs to Joanna but all of you belongs with me. Of course that's a yes!"

 

Scotty had a thoughtful look on his face. "So, does this make you Mrs Claus like Spock said?" he asked their captain, working hard to keep the grin off his face.

 

Linking hands with Bones Jim smiled at the other man. "Yeah, I guess it does," he admitted proudly before shooting his crew, stern looks. "But if any of you..." and now he looked specifically at Scotty and Hikaru, "... call me that I'll make sure you're assigned to the dullest and most disgusting away missions for a year." His words may have been delivered lightly but there was steel in his eyes.

 

"As happy as I am that you two have finally gotten your act together we need to get this show on the road. Christmas is waiting!" Uhura reminded them. She was unmistakably excited about her very first time being a part of Christmas.

 

"Right! Let's get this show on the road, people; we have gifts to deliver," Jim called with undisguised glee. At long last he was going to live out his fondest childhood Christmas wish but more importantly, he finally had the man he loved in his life and in his arms forever.

 

******

Seated next to Bones in the gift-laden sleigh, Jim gripped Bones' arm tightly. "Wow, this is amazing!" he breathed out as he saw the world in a whole new way. Even though he'd spent years out in the inky darkness of space, and he'd gazed down on the Earth from the orbiting space dock, seeing his home flying by beneath his feet was pure, indescribably magic.

 

Bones knew he should probably be watching where they were going but he trusted his reindeer to know the route. Instead, his gaze was locked on Jim's face and it made his heart sing with joy knowing that he was responsible for putting the look of pure wonder and happiness on Jim's face. "I love you, Jim,"  and he smiled at how naturally the words fell so easily off his tongue.

 

Jim's head snapped around to meet Bones' glowing eyes and the smile that graced his face could easily have outshone the sun. "I love you too, Bones."

 

Christmas is a time of magic and hope, a time when miracles can and do happen, but more than anything else, Christmas is a season of love. As Bones and Jim's lips met in another kiss they knew this was the purest truth known to man and they gave thanks to the Universe that at long last they had something they had been so afraid they would never have, each other's hearts.

 

The End


End file.
